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Stimming: A Comprehensive Guide – Why, Types, and Managing

All of us have things that we do to help us regulate our emotions. Some of us might tense up if we’re angry, literally (and figuratively) bite our lip when we’re frustrated or take a deep breath if we’re sad.

All of these things are called self-stimulating behaviors. Today, these behaviors have been given a name — stimming, or simply stim.

While people of all ages and mental acuity can stim, it’s most often associated with people who have autism.

People who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often stim more than others. This can include any action they take repeatedly that helps them deal with their emotions1.

Parents who have children with autism might wonder why their children stim, what stimming can look like and how they can help to manage stimming. We’ll discuss those topics below.

Table Of Contents

Why Do People with Autism Stim?

As mentioned, stimming isn’t a behavior that only people with autism exhibit. In fact, most people have some sort of stim that they use to help themselves self-regulate.

There are a few key differences between what stimming is and looks like for people with and without autism.

Those who don’t have autism might not stim very often, because they have other ways that they can control their behaviors. And if they do stim, it’s typically not very noticeable.

People who have autism, though, tend to stim more often because they have challenges regulating their emotions. In addition, their stimming is typically more pronounced and noticeable.

Those who have autism experience different senses in different ways. For many, the sensory inputs that are around them in the world are much more intense and heightened.

In many ways, the fact that stimming is more noticeable and frequent in people with autism is one of the main reasons why it’s become almost synonymous with ASD.

What Can Stimming Look Like?

Stimming doesn’t look the same in all people. In fact, there are multiple types of stimming, such as auditory (hearing), vocal (speaking), tactile (touching), visual (seeing), vestibular (movement), olfactory (smelling) and full body2.

People may tend to exhibit only one type of stimming behavior, or they may exhibit multiple different types of stimming from a few of these categories.

Stimming can be as simple as biting nails if you’re feeling anxious. twirling hair if you’re bored or fiddling with an object if you’re trying to concentrate.

In children with autism, stimming could involve them snapping their fingers, scratching their skin or shaking their fingers repeatedly. It could include them staring at things that spin, squealing, echoing and/or repeating words that other people say and more.

The signs that someone is stimming is repeated behaviors when they’re feeling a certain emotion.

How Can You Manage Stimming?

Stimming isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, figuring out ways to regulate your emotions is healthy3.

To this point, parents of children with autism should often look for ways to help their children manage stimming rather than trying to stop it altogether.

One example is helping to reduce anxiety that children with autism often face when they’re entering a new situation or environment. By preparing them for the situation ahead, they’re less likely to feel anxious and, as a result, less likely to stim.

That being said, there are some potential risks of certain stimming behaviors, especially in children with autism.

Some types of stimming can be physically harmful. There can be serious negative ramifications of biting your nails, pulling your hair or banging your head, for example. These are all stims that you would want to help your child stop.

In addition, stimming can provide some challenges with social acceptance. You may want to have your child hide stims so that others don’t judge them for their behaviors.

One of the best ways that parents can support their children in this situation, though, is to help them see understand why they’re stimming and then find an appropriate situation to do it in while they’re out in a social setting.

This could include parents helping their children redirect attention to another thing, or simply acknowledging their feelings, and the resulting stim, with acceptance, rather than negativity.

Depending on your child, stimming toys or objects such as fidget toys, chew toys or another object can prove to be effective at helping them cope and/or reduce stimming behaviors.

Give Your Children the Support They Need with Blue Gems ABA’s Help

Stimming has become synonymous with autism today, even though many people who don’t have autism might stim as well. Parents should realize that stimming is a natural way that children with autism help self-regulate their emotions, and help them manage that self-regulation in healthy ways.

At Blue Gems ABA, we have trained, licensed and experienced BCBAs who help administer applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy, to children with autism. This proven, science-based treatment plan helps children build their social, emotional and coping skills so they can succeed in life.

For more information, please contact Blue Gems ABA today.

Learn More

  1. https://www.drakeinstitute.com/what-is-stimming-in-autism
  2. https://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/what-you-need-to-know-about-stimming-and-autism#1-3
  3. https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-stimming-in-autism-260034#toc-how-to-manage-stimming

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